Ohio Proud Leverages Local Products
In partnership with: Ohio Department of Agriculture
Do you know where your food comes from? If the item you’re buying carries an Ohio Proud sticker or logo, you know the product is at least 50% raised, grown, or processed in Ohio. Established in 1993 by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), the Ohio Proud program helps consumers buy local and assists farmers and ag-related businesses in reaching new markets, thereby increasing sales.
See more: Advancing Ohio’s Agriculture
Shop Local at Lohstroh
Lohstroh Family Farms has been part of the Ohio Proud program almost as long as it’s existed.
In addition to the 1,000 acres they have in corn, soybeans, and wheat, the Lohstrohs run a popular pumpkin patch, fall farm market, and sunflower field for U-pick and photography rental opportunities on their property near Mount Sterling. The Lohstrohs first grew pumpkins in the 1980s but gradually added agritourism activities in the early 2000s. As Ohio Proud members, they took advantage of marketing.
“We were diving more into social media,” Michelle Lohstroh says. “People have also located us through the Ohio Proud website. That’s been our biggest benefit.”
She says it was an easy decision to join Ohio Proud.
“They share our values about the importance of buying local and touting Ohio products,” Lohstroh says. “A lot of people think of fruits and vegetables coming from California or Florida, but much of it is grown right here. It’s important for people to know, and something to be proud of.”
See more: Ohio Proud Spreads Word of Locally Made Food, Products
Labeled Local
Shawn Woods was looking for ways to distinguish his beef business from other producers. By utilizing the Ohio Proud logo on W Bench Farms’ marketing materials and on his packaging, “our customers know exactly where their food is coming from,” he says.
He raises Texas longhorn cattle along with his wife, Tracey, and stepson, Clayton. They farm about 450 acres in Columbiana and Jefferson counties, raising corn, soybeans, and oats and baling hay for cattle.
“All the grains that we finish our cattle on, we market as non-GMO product,” Woods says. “We finish about 20 to 30 steers a year for our freezer beef program, where we sell whole, half, and quarter beef and also by the package directly to our customers and through a farmers market.”
Woods also leases yearlings to a local youth rodeo for calf roping, sorting, team penning, and other events. Woods notes most of his customers are removed from agriculture and yearn for accurate information from trusted sources.
“We have to educate people on why our product is better,” he says, noting that as more locally owned, mom-and-pop specialty stores fade away, the knowledge and experience of those business owners also wanes. Ohio Proud helps offset that, Woods believes, by promoting local growers and producers.
“Being part of the Ohio Proud program is one more tool in our toolbox,” Woods says.
See more: These Ohio Proud Members are Brewing Up Local Products
Blooming With Pride
Donya Lewis became an affiliate member of Ohio Proud in 2016.
“We were searching for ways to promote our team’s commitment and passion for buying fresh flowers from Ohio growers,” says Lewis, the owner of Donya’s Florals.
Consistently ranked one of the top floral designers in Columbus, Donya’s Florals offers custom floral design for local customers, city visitors, hoteliers and restaurants, corporate meetings and events, and weddings from its location inside the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Lewis says they source premium florals such as dahlias, lisianthus, lilies, gladiolus, and peonies from well-established Ohio farms.
“Whenever our bouquet recipes contain Ohio-grown flowers, we proudly add the Ohio Proud sticker to our branded boxes and bouquet wraps,” she says.
